Ethical Hacking News
A new wave of cyber attacks has hit Russian agencies, targeting government entities, energy enterprises, and other high-profile organizations. The attackers, known as Cavalry Werewolf, have used malware families such as FoalShell and StallionRAT to breach security measures, raising concerns about the scope and impact of this attack. As threat actors continue to evolve, it's essential that cybersecurity vendors, governments, and individuals stay vigilant and take proactive measures to protect themselves against these emerging threats.
The "Cavalry Werewolf" threat actor has been linked to malware families such as FoalShell and StallionRAT, which were used to breach high-security targets in Russian agencies. The attack is believed to be the work of a Kazakhstan-based threat actor, known as Storm-0473, who was also responsible for the Tomiris backdoor. BI.ZONE discovered the attacks, which involved targeted phishing emails sent to gain initial access into Russian state agencies and other high-profile targets. The attack is significant because it shows how threat actors are evolving and adapting their tactics to evade security measures. The use of malware families like FoalShell and StallionRAT suggests that the threat actor had broader ambitions than initially thought, including distributing RAR archives that deliver these malware families.
THN Exclusive Report: A Deep Dive into the Latest Malware Attacks on Russian Agencies and Their Ties to Kazakhstan-Based Threat Actors
The world of cybersecurity has witnessed a new player emerge, one that is making waves with its audacious attacks on Russian agencies. The attack in question, attributed to the threat actor known as "Cavalry Werewolf," has all the hallmarks of a sophisticated cyber operation, leveraging malware families such as FoalShell and StallionRAT to breach high-security targets.
The news broke earlier this week, with cybersecurity vendor BI.ZONE announcing its discovery of the attacks. According to BI.ZONE, the threat actor in question sent out targeted phishing emails disguising them as official correspondence from Kyrgyz government officials to gain initial access into Russian state agencies and other high-profile targets.
But what makes this attack particularly noteworthy is its ties to Kazakhstan-based threat actors. According to BI.ZONE, the attack bears commonalities with clusters tracked as SturgeonPhisher, Silent Lynx, Comrade Saiga, ShadowSilk, and Tomiris. The latter, in particular, is significant, as it lends credence to a long-held hypothesis that Storm-0473, a Kazakhstan-based threat actor, was indeed responsible for the Tomiris backdoor.
The use of malware families such as FoalShell and StallionRAT by Cavalry Werewolf is also worth noting. Both are lightweight reverse shells written in Go, C++, and C# versions, respectively, allowing operators to run arbitrary commands using cmd.exe. StallionRAT, in particular, has been linked to the Tomiris backdoor and offers features such as command execution, file upload, and exfiltration of collected data via a Telegram bot.
But what's truly concerning is the scope of this attack. According to BI.ZONE, the threat actor was also experimenting with expanding its arsenal, including distributing RAR archives that deliver FoalShell or StallionRAT. This suggests that Cavalry Werewolf may have had broader ambitions than initially thought.
Furthermore, the attacks raise questions about the effectiveness of current cybersecurity measures. According to BI.ZONE, an analysis of publications on Telegram channels or underground forums by both financially motivated attackers and hacktivists over the past year has identified compromises of at least 500 companies in Russia, most of which spanned commerce, finance, education, and entertainment sectors.
One thing is certain: this attack marks a new chapter in cyber warfare. As threat actors continue to evolve and adapt, it's essential that cybersecurity vendors, governments, and individuals stay vigilant and take proactive measures to protect themselves against these emerging threats.
The revelation also highlights the ongoing struggle between financially motivated attackers and hacktivists, with both parties compromising public-facing web applications. This poses significant challenges for organizations looking to maintain their online security posture.
In conclusion, this attack serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity awareness and investment in protecting against the ever-evolving threat landscape.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-New-Chapter-in-Cyber-Warfare-The-Rise-of-Cavalry-Werewolf-Attacks-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/new-cavalry-werewolf-attack-hits.html
https://bi.zone/eng/expertise/blog/cavalry-werewolf-atakuet-rossiyu-cherez-doveritelnye-otnosheniya-mezhdu-gosudarstvami/
https://securityonline.info/cavalry-werewolf-apt-targets-russian-agencies-with-foalshell-and-telegram-c2/
Published: Fri Oct 3 06:40:02 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
